Mending Broken Hearts
by CloudwatcherNumbuh7
Summary: True love is not easy to come by, it's hard to hold on to and even harder to fight for. Rumpelstiltskin and Belle want to fix whatever is left of their relationship but to get there it's going to take tears, laughter and forgiveness the likes of which neither of them have ever faced.


POV: Rumpelstiltskin

My heart, my pure white heart is broken and there is not a damn thing I can do about it. Belle, my precious Belle, made her decision no matter how much it pains and torments me I know why she did it. It's because I am truly a hard man to love and there is no way in this land or any other land that someone as caring and loving as her would ever love an ugly man like me. That's how I find myself in the back of my shop staring up the ceiling with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and my wedding band in the other. I am so close to drinking the whole damn bottle it's pathetic.

"Rumple?" I sit up and see Belle standing in the doorway of the backroom and I find myself laughing.

"I must be even drunker then what I thought because there is no way you're really here." I sneered, lying back down on my bed of self-pity.

"No Rumple. I'm really here. And I'm sorry, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now." She whispers.

"And you would be guessing right dearie but then again why wouldn't I want to see you? I mean it's not like you crushed my heart with your bare hands or anything. Oh wait a moment in a sense you did just that." I glare at her, while I push myself up from the cot. She looks at me with a heart broken expression on her face and yet I can't bring myself to care.

"And you want to know the best part of this whole situation, I am no longer a beast and yet I still can't get my happy ending. And want to know why Belle?" I ask looking right at her but she can't meet my eyes, their glued to the floor.

"Because of me?" She whispers brokenly. Belle finally looks up at me and I watch as all the unshed tears in her eyes pool over and start falling down her cheeks, that's when I realize that she is just as hurt as I am. And all the whiskey I had drank to numb my heart ache fades away in a split second and I am left with nothing but pain.

"Why are you here Belle?" I ask, my voice breaking off at the end.

"I-I…don't know." She replies, tears are rolling down her face showing no sign of stopping.

"You already broke my heart. W-what more could you want from me?" For a few moments neither of us said anything, the only thing that is heard is Belle's soft crying.

"F-forgiveness. I…came here to ask…for your forgiveness." She sobbed. I stare at her speechless. Never has anyone ever asked that from me unless it was out fear but this is the farthest thing from it. Belle slowly reached over and took my hand in hers. I can't find the energy to pull away nor do I want to.

"Listen Rumple I know what I told you earlier…and at the time I meant it. I thought what I needed to protect my heart from was you but I see now how wrong I was. You've…been through hell and back and every single time I lose you, you always come back to me. I'm far from prefect Rumple and yet you see only the good in me. Earlier I told you that you broke my heart to many times, I didn't even think about how many times I must have broken yours.

"You thought I was dead and when it turned out I wasn't you protected me with everything you had. And when I pushed you away after getting my memories back, you gave me the keys to the library. You put up with me when I was Lacey, you even appealed to Lacey's darker personality to keep me safe. You have done so much for me, for us. I was stupid for trying to push you away again. I'm so sorry Rumple." Her sobs were uncontrollable and her knees gave way, I caught her in my arms and cocooned her from the pain the best I could.

"I'm so sorry Rumple!" She kept repeating herself over and over again. I rocked her in my lap, rubbing her back and whispered comforting words to her. After a few minutes she stopped crying and I gently pushed her away from my chest.

"Belle you need to listen to me. I love you and I would do anything for you. You came here asking for my forgiveness and you already had it. Belle. We shared true love kiss and I had a chance to break the darkness over me but I didn't take it and I will regret that for the rest of my life. We've had our ups and downs. I can't lie to you, your right you broke my heart so many times I wanted to give up on us but Belle," I reached up and wiped a few tears away from her face, "you kept the darkness at bay. You were the flicker of light in the darkness that kept me sane. You who was brave enough to face the Dark One in exchange for the safety of your people. Belle you are my true love and that will never change but we have a lot to repair in us."

"I don't deserve your love Rumple. I've hurt you and yet you find it so easy to forgive. I was hoping that I would come here and you would yell or blame me, do anything but this because now I see just how blind I was being." She reached for my hands and once again I let her take them in hers. "Thank you for your forgiveness and believe me when I say this Rumple that I want to fix us. No lies, no walls, just you and me working whatever we have out."

"I'm backing you up all the way." I tell her, softly putting my forehead against hers. A few more tears slip down her face but I catch her smiling softly.

"How in the world did I get someone as wonderful as you to be my true love?" She whispered.

"I was just asking myself the same thing." I smile. For a few minutes we don't move from the floor, both of us knowing that once we did we would have to give up what little peace we have with one another. I feel my leg start to cramp up and I know that if I don't move soon that it will start to hurt so I pull myself up and offer Belle my hand. She takes it and thanks me.

"Rumple?"

"Yes?"

"Do you really forgive me?" The heart ache is still clear on her face and I want nothing more than to hold her in my arms again but I know that neither of are ready so instead I take her hands in mine and softly smile at her.

"I truly do."

"Thank you." She says, giving me a watery smile.

"The real question right now is where we should start with us." I tell her, the air around us becoming serious.

"I don't know. I think we both need time to just think things over. Let's give one another two weeks, during this period we will not speak or see one another. On this day in two weeks we will meet up at the library at 7 p.m. and talk about everything. We'll leave nothing out. I think that's the best and right thing to do." Belle explained. I watched her in awe at just how smart and beautiful she is.

"I can agree to those terms. Just as long as you promise that I can set Mr. William Scarlett straight if he starts to bother you."

"Rumple." She scorned but I could see laughter in her eyes.

"What? It's just to make sure he doesn't get to friendly with you again." I tell her only being half serious. This gets a small smirk out of her and I can't help but smile with her.

"Deal." She says, holding out her hand to me.

"Deal." I tell her, taking her hand in mine.

"Well I had better get going." Belle says, starting to walk towards the front of the shop.

"Here. Let me walk you out." She smiles and nods her head. We're both standing outside and we just look at one another, I could stare into her blue eyes forever if she let me. After a bit Belle shakes closes her eyes and shakes her head, probably caught up the same way I am.

"So I'll see you in two weeks then?" She asks, still smiling.

"I would not miss it for the world." I tell her. Belle nods and walks away but not before turning around and waving goodbye to me. I know we are going to make it through this and be stronger for it because what is a beast without his beauty.

* * *

 **Okay. So this was written because I appositely hated how Rumbelle is going in ouat. The writers need to put this couple back together and then leave them alone! Sorry about that rant but I think it was building up for a while. Anyways this is how I think the meeting between Rumple and Belle should have gone after Belle figured out how stupid she was being. I hope you all enjoyed it and this will most likely be only a two-chapter story but hey I could be wrong. All reviews are welcomed :)**


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